ADDRESS 

BY 

A.  S.  Kavanagk,  D.D. 

Superintendent  of  tke 

Metliodist  Episcopal  Hospital 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


DELIVERED  at  tke  Opening 
of  tke  Eastern  Pavilion  of 
tke  Hospital,  and  puklisked  ky 
order  of  tke  Board  of  Managers. 
Togetker  witk  pictures  illus¬ 
trating  tke  development  of 
tke  Hospital,  and  an  editorial 
from  tke  "  Cknstian  Advocate/' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/addressdeliveredOOkava 


GEORGE  I.  SENEY 


9 


WILLIAM  HALLS,  JR. 


3 


4 


This  tablet  was  unveiled  at  the  Hospital  December  5,  1907 


. 


5 


The  Halls  Administration  Building  and  the  Eastern  Pavilion  were  finished  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls,  Jr.,  at  a  cost  of  $189,000 
This  tablet  was  unveiled  at  the  Hospital  December  5,  1907 


6 


Laying  the  Corner  Stone  twenty-five  years  ago.  A  badly  faded  but  much  prized  picture.  Dr.  Buckley  is  delivering  an  address 


7 


A  Recent  Picture  of  the  Completed  Hospital 


8 


The  Main  Entrance  for  twenty  years 


9 


Main  Entrance  now.  How  do  you  like  it? 


10 


GENERAL  RECEPTION  ROOM 

Furnished  by  the  Nightingale  Society  of  Hanson  Place  Church,  showing,  also,  a  fine  painting  of  the 
Presidential  Range — the  gift  of  the  late  Martha  T.  Fiske-Collord 


11 


NURSES  RECEPTION  ROOM 


Editorial  by  Dr.  Buckley  in  the  Christian  Advocate 
of  October  15,  1908 


THE  CHRISTIAN  ADVOCATE  of  October  ist 
promised  its  readers  the  most  interesting  account  of  HOS¬ 
PITAL  history  which  has  ever  been  presented  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  as  one  of  its  own  achievements. 
The  occasion  which  called  it  forth  was  the  celebration  of  the 
completion  of  the  Eastern  Pavilion  of  the  Methodist  Epis¬ 
copal  Hospital  in  Brooklyn,  which  was  also  the  completion 
of  the  original  system  of  buildings  proposed  by  GEORGE 
I.  SENEY,  and  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the 
institution. 

In  close  connection  with  this  celebration,  in  fact  the 
principal  part  of  it,  was  a  reception  to  Mr.  WILLIAM 
HALLS,  Jr.,  and  Mrs.  HALLS,  without  whose  gifts  the 
consummation  so  long  devoutly  wished  would  have  been 
impossible.  There  were  addresses  by  JOHN  M.  BUL- 
WINKLE,  WILLIAM  HALLS,  Jr.,  BISHOP  GOOD- 
SELL  and  Dr.  F.  J.  McCONNELL.  These  were  all 
interesting  and  pertinent;  but  the  historical  record  read  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  KAVANAGH  is  an  imperishable  document, 
as  holding  as  a  work  of  fiction.  Had  the  facts  therein 
enumerated  and  the  romantic  vicissitudes  recorded  been 
presented  five  years  ago  as  if  they  had  already  come  to  pass, 
the  presentation  would  have  been  considered  a  mere  dream, 
impossible  of  fulfillment. 

Many  thousands  have  contributed  to  the  Hospital. 
They  will  read  this  report  with  satisfaction.  All  the  patients 
will  do  so  with  gratitude;  all  interested  in  the  numerous 
Hospitals  which  have  sprung  up  since  this,  the  forerunner 
of  all,  was  begun,  will  read  it  in  the  hope  of  emulating  such 
success.  Every  Methodist  should  read  it  to  show  what 
PERSEVERANCE  will  accomplish,  especially  when  aided 
by  the  three  graces  of  FAITH,  HOPE  and  CHARITY. 

12 


#  . 
m 


N 

v 


PROGRESS  OF  RECENT  YEARS 

ADDRESS  OP  SUPERINTENDENT  A.  S.  KAVANAGH,  AT  THE  RECEPTION 
TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  WILLIAM  HALLS,  JR.,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y„  SEPT.  24,  1908 

1902 - TWO  MEMORABLE  DINNERS - 1908 

One  of  these  two  memorable  dinners  was  held  over  rive  years 
ago  at  the  Montauk  Club.  It  was  a  night  of  hope,  of  visions  and 
of  challenge.  Tonight,  as  we  have  met  together,  our  hopes  and 
visions  are  fulfilled  and  the  challenge  of  five  years  ago  has  been 
met. 

To  understand  the  significance  of  the  proposition  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Halls  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  actual  condition  of  the 
Hospital  when  the  proposition  was  made. 

THE  ANNUAL  DEFICIT 

For  several  years  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Hospital  to  reach 
the  31st  of  December  with  a  heavy  deficit.  Some  years  ago  it  was 
supposed  by  our  surgeons  that  if  the  front  end  of  this  Eastern 
Pavilion  were  finished  for  the  use  of  private  patients,  it  would 
help  relieve  the  situation.  But  that  was  a  mistake,  for  it  spread 
a  moderate  amount  of  work  over  so  much  territory,  that  the 
expense  was  greater  than  the  income,  and  therefore  the  deficit 
was  increased.  Improved  operating  facilities  became  necessary 
and  accordingly  the  Operating  Pavilion  was  finished  at  an  ex¬ 
pense  of  $28,000,  but  this  also  increased  the  current  expenses  and 
therefore  the  annual  shortage. 

We  bad  a  strong  medical  staff.  The  names  of  Pilcher  and 
Fowler,  not  to  speak  of  other  distinguished  men,  were  sufficient 
to  make  any  staff  strong,  but  that  fact  did  not  change  matters. 
The  unvarnished  truth  was  this,  the  financial  condition  of  the 
Institution  was  growing  more  and  more  desperate  every  year, 
and  that  in  spite  of  the  most  capable  leadership  whether 
you  consider  my  predecessor  in  office,  or  a  devoted  and  ca¬ 
pable  executive  committee  and  Board  of  Managers,  who  were 
familiar  with  and  burdened  by  these  facts.  Sometimes  these 
deficits  were  met  by  undesignated  legacies — notice  undesignated 
legacies — for  the  Board  has  always  been  careful  to  carry  out 
the  expressed  wish  of  every  donor.  In  the  year  1900  a  legacy 
of  $8,500  was  used  to  meet  current  expenses  and  in  the  year 
1901  a  legacy  of  over  $10,000  was  used  in  the  same  way,  and  yet 
at  the  close  of  that  year  (1901)  the  Board  of  Managers  was  con¬ 
fronted  with  a  deficit  of  $7,000. 

Three  months  later,  when  I  became  Superintendent  and  at¬ 
tended  my  first  official  meeting,  I  found  the  Board  of  Managers 
and  my  predecessor  busy  raising  this  old  debt. 

I  also  made  another  discovery,  that  in  addition  to  the  $7,000 
which  they  were  endeavoring  to  raise,  the  first  quarter  of  1902 
showed  a  shortage  of  $5,000. 

As  Superintendent,  I  did  my  best  in  1902  to  turn  the  tide,  but 
met  with  little  success — so  little  that  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls 


13 


made  their  proposition  on  December  15,  1902,  we  were  behind  for 
the  year  $13,000. 

THE  WAY  OUT 

Mr.  Halls  and  I  consulted  together  many  times  before 
and  after  I  became  Superintendent.  A  few  months  after  my 
appointment,  he  suggested  a  gift  of  $50,000,  but  the  condition  of 
things  continued  to  grow  more  and  more  desperate,  the  un¬ 
finished  buildings  were  deteriorating  and  the  current  expenses 
more  difficult  to  meet.  Finally,  realizing  that  something  must  be 
done  if  the  good  name  of  the  Church  was  to  be  maintained,  I 
mustered  up  courage  enough  to  write  Mr.  Halls  a  letter  which 
bore  date  of  November  24,  1902.  The  following  are  extracts  from 
that  letter: 

“The  Hospital  can  never  pull  out  of  the  woods  until  it  is 
finished.  *  *  * 

“I  have  put  in  eight  months  of  unremitting  labor.  I  am  con¬ 
vinced  that  it  can  never  reach  a  firm  footing  until  it  is  finished. 

*  *  * 

“Perhaps  you  are  wondering  what  I  have  in  mind  for  you  to 
do?  Well,  I  want  you  to  complete  the  Central  Building.  *  *  * 
That  would  come  within  the  range  of  the  gift  that  you  and  Mrs. 
Halls  have  spoken  of  to  me. 

“I  should  have  you  do  that,  however,  upon  certain  very  im¬ 
portant  conditions: 

“1.  That  money  enough  should  be  raised  by  the  friends  of  the 
Hospital  to  finish  the  Eastern  Pavilion. 

“2.  That  our  debts  for  the  erection  and  completion,  of  the 
various  buildings  should  be  provided  for  by  others. 

“3.  That  the  Endowment  Fund  should  be  increased  by  an 
amount  to  be  determined  upon. 

“The  announcement  of  aggressive  work  at  this  time  would 
hearten  the  old  friends  of  the  Hospital  and  make  a  multitude  of 
new  ones.  Speak  the  word  and  the  campaign  will  be  on.  All  the 
details  can  be  worked  cut  later.” 

My  suggestion  did  not  call  upon  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls  to  assume 
the  entire  responsibility  of  this  work  themselves;  and  the 
proposition  which  they  made  a  little  later  was  much  larger  and 
more  comprehensive  than  mine. 

THE  HALLS  PROPOSITION 

In  a  few  days  I  received  a  reply  to  this  letter  saying  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Halls  would  come  to  the  Hospital  at  an  early  date  to 
look  the  situation  over,  which  they  did  on  December  4,  1902. 
They  examined  carefully  the  plans  of  both  unfinished  buildings. 
I  informed  them  that  from  $75,000  to  $100,000  would  finish  the 
Central  Building.  After  spending  several  hours  together  three 
things  wbre  determined  upon. 

1.  That  it  would  be  a  mistake  not  to  finish  both  buildings  at 
the  earliest  possible  date. 

2.  That  the  $100,000  talked  of  for  this  work  would  not  be  suffi¬ 
cient,  that  it  would  take  at  least  $125,000. 

3.  That  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls  would  fully  mature  a  proposition  to 
be  announced  a  week  or  two  later  at  a  dinner  which  was  then 
being  arranged  for  at  the  Montauk  Club. 

On  that  occasion  Mr.  Halls  delivered  his  never-to-be-forgotten 
speech,  offering  in  the  name  of  Mrs.  Halls  and  himself  to  bring 
to  completion  the  two  buildings  at  an  expense  not  to  exceed 


14 


$125,000,  provided  the  friends  of  the  Hospital  should  raise,  before 
June  1,  1903,  $500,000  to  pay  certain  debts  amounting  to  $75,000 
and  to  increase  the  Endowment  Fund  by  an  addition  of  $425,000. 

This  proposition  created  great  enthusiasm,  and  yet  a  multitude 
feared  that  Mr.  Halls  had  defeated  his  proposition  by  making  it 
necessary  that  we  should  secure  in  pledges  or  cash  $500,000. 

I  must  say  to  you  that  in  no  one  thing  was  greater  statesman¬ 
ship  shown.  Had  the  buildings  been  finished  while  the  endow¬ 
ment  remained  as  it  was,  we  should  have  been  worse  off  than 
before.  Some  donors  think  if  they  erect  a  building  they  confer 
a  great  favor  upon  a  Hospital.  Very  often  they  do,  but  very 
often  they  bring  upon  the  management  burdens  beyond  endur¬ 
ance.  In  work  like  this,  with  the  addition  of  every  new  building, 
or  the  development  of  a  new  department,  there  should  be  a  com¬ 
mensurate  increase  of  endowment. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls  held  tenaciously  to  the  point  that  we  should 
secure  the  $500,000  in  cash  or  subscriptions,  but  in  their  anxiety 
that  we  should  succeed  they  made  many  concessions: 

1.  When  it  was  found  that  the  money  could  not  be  raised  by 
the  time  specified  they  removed  the  time  limit. 

2.  At  one  time  when  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  another  sub¬ 
scription,  Mr.  Halls  sent  $5,000  to  endow  a  bed  in  memory  of  his 
father  and  mother,  permitting  us  to  count  it  on  our  side  of  the 
contract. 

3.  When  $300,000  was  secured  in  pledges,  even  though  it  was 
still  $200,000  short  cf  the  required  amount,  they  authorized  us  to 
finish  the  Central  Building. 

4.  When  estimates  were  received,  it  was  discovered  that  during 
the  two  years  which  had  elapsed  since  the  proposition  was  made, 
the  cost  of  building  material  and  labor  had  so  advanced  in  price 
that  the  lowest  estimate  called  for  the  entire  $125,000  to  finish 
the  Central  Building. 

Again  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls  readjusted  their  offer  and  authorized 
us  to  spend  the  entire  amount  on  that  building. 

It  was  no  wonder,  when  the  great  building  was  finished,  that 
the  Board  of  Managers,  knowing  full  well  the  struggles  of  the 
past,  and  anxious  to  show  in  some  fitting  way  their  high  appre¬ 
ciation  of  this  extraordinary  and  far-sighted  generosity,  unani¬ 
mously  and  heartily  voted  that  the  Central  Building  should  be 
called  the  Halls  Administration  Building. 

A  THANKSGIVING  LETTER 

Before  the  building  was  opened  and  before  Mr.  Halls  knew  of 
the  naming  of  the  building,  a  cablegram  was  received  by  Dr. 
Buckley  from  Mr.  Halls,  then  in  Europe,  reading  as  follows: 

“Inform  Managers.  Writing  Kavanagh.  Will  pay  total  Ad¬ 
ministration  Building  and  complete  Pavilion.” 

On  Thanksgiving  morning,  the  Superintendent  received  the 
letter  referred  to  in  the  cablegram,  which  was  written  before  the 
cablegram  was  sent.  It  was  certainly  a  letter  that  increased  the 
wellsprings  of  gratitude  in  the  hearts  of  the  Building  Committee, 
not  to  speak  of  the  Superintendent.  The  Committee  was  in 
session  at  the  Hospital  when  the  letter  arrived.  It  contained  the 
following  delightful  paragraphs: 

s  “You  may  say  to  the  Board  of  Managers  that  Mr,  and  Mrs. 

Halls  will  pay  the  entire  cost  of  the  Administration  Building 
which  has  practically  consumed  the  $125,000  first  pledged  by 


15 


them,  and  now,  because  of  their  interest  in  the  Hospital  as  well 
as  indicating  their  appreciation  of  the  Superintendent’s  labors  in 
securing  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  sum  asked  for,  they  propose 
to  finish  the  Eastern  Pavilion  at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  provided  that 
the  remaining  amount  required  to  meet  the  original  proposition 
is  speedily  secured;  but  they  will  not  do  this  until  the  balance  of 
the  original  amount  asked  for  is  fully  provided  in  cash  or  good 
pledges. 

“This  settles  the  entire  cost  of  the  Administration  Building 
and  gets  a  load  off  your  shoulders,  thus  allowing  you  soon,  I 
hope,  to  devote  your  attention  to  other  matters  of  the  Hospital 
besides  the  raising  of  this  large  sum  of  money.  As  your  Mana¬ 
gers’  meeting  should  be  on  Thursday,  I  will  cable  Dr.  Buckley 
[we  have  already  quoted  cablegram].  I  thought  this  cablegram 
would  be  enough  to  indicate  what  the  Lord  puts  into  our  hearts 
to  do.  We  are  hoping  that  this  letter  will  reach  you  Thanksgiv¬ 
ing  morning,  November  29,  as  a  fitting  opening  for  Thanksgiving 
Day.” 

Immediately  Mr.  A.  P.  Sloan  sent  the  following  cablegram  in 
reply,  which  he  insisted  on  sending  at  his  own  expense:  “Thanks¬ 
giving  Day.  Thank  God  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls.” 

Here  it  should  be  said  that  when  Mr.  Halls  proposed  $50,000 
for  the  completion  of  the  Eastern  Pavilion,  we  did  not  expect  to 
increase  the  capacity  of  the  building  by  an  additional  floor.  This 
extra  work  doubtless  added  about  $10,000  to  the  cost  of  the  build¬ 
ing. 

But  I  am  quite  sure  this  additional  floor  will  give  increasing 
satisfaction.  We  remember  the  days  when  the  nurses  were 
housed  in  the  flats,  how  our  physician  to  the  Training  School 
wrote  the  Executive  Committee  warning  them  that  the  health  of 
the  nurses  was  being  endangered,  and  we  remember  how  the 
Committee  tried  their  best  to  relieve  the  situation,  but  did  not 
dare  to  forget  the  annual  deficits.  But  a  change  for  the  better 
came  when  we  were  able  to  lay  hands  on  the  top  floor  of  the 
Halls  Building,  and  yet  we  did  not  have  room  enough.  But  soon 
we  saw  better  days  ahead  when  we  dreamt  of  an  extra  floor  in 
the  Eastern  Pavilion.  At  last  our  nurses  shall  be  well  cared  for 
until  a  home  specially  for  them  is  provided.  But  that  is  not  all; 
the  transfer  of  the  nurses  to  these  buildings  makes  it  possible  to 
make  good  provision  for  our  servants  and  housemaids. 

The  total  cost  of  both  buildings  unfurnished  was  about  $189,000, 
and  although  that  figure  is  $14,000  more  than  the  proposition 
made  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halls,  yet  we  are  authorized  by  them  to 
announce  tonight  that  they  will  bear  the  additional  cost,  making 
their  gift  $189,000  instead  of  $175,000. 

THE  HALF  MILLION-  SECURED 

In  the  next  place  I  am  sure  you  will  all  wish  to  know  whether 
or  not  the  Board  of  Managers  and  friends  of  the  Hospital  lived 
up  to  their  contract.  I  am  glad  to  answer  yes,  for  more  than 
the  $500,000  required  has  been  secured  in  cash  or  pledges  and 
$407,000  of  this  amount  has  been  paid  in,  $75,000  of  which  has 
been  used  to  cancel  the  old  debts  referred  to,  $332,000  of  which 
has  been  added  to  the  Endowment  Fund,  leaving  about  $100,000 
due  at  this  moment. 

The  great  necessity  of  an  early  payment  of  this  balance  will 
be  made  clear  a  little  later. 


16 


THE  CONTROLLING  SPIRIT 

And  now  permit  me  to  call  your  attention  to  the  controlling 
spirit  of  the  committees  and  officers  of  the  Institution  in  all  this 
work.  One  fact  will  illustrate  what  I  mean. 

When  the  Building  Committee  was  appointed  their  first  work 
was  to  instruct  the  Superintendent  to  address  each  attending 
physician  and  surgeon  asking  his  assistance  in  preparing  plans 
for  both  the  Central  Building  and  the  Eastern  Pavilion.  In  this 
we  were  following  the  example  of  one  of  the  greatest  hospitals  in 
this  country,  the  Johns  Hopkins.  Our  letter  to  the  medical  men 
bears  date  of  September  24,  1904.  Each  man  was  requested  to 
communicate  his  views  to  the  chairman,  Mr.  S.  J.  Harding.  The 
purpose  of  this  letter  was  to  make  each  physician  feel  that  he 
was  part  and  parcel  of  this  undertaking. 

The  Building  Committee  and  Superintendent  visited  the  newer 
hospitals  of  Greater  New  York  and  conducted  a  wide  correspond¬ 
ence  concerning  every  possible  detail  of  construction,  studying 
carefully  what  we  thought  to  be  our  own  needs,  and  then  pre¬ 
sented  our  suggestions  to  the  architects,  who  elaborated  or 
changed  them,  and  then  prepared  tentative  plans.  These  plans 
were  placed  in  the  doctors’  room,  and  once  more,  by  order  of  the 
Building  Committee,  the  Superintendent  addressed  the  attending 
physicians  and  surgeons,  asking  for  their  help. 

The  doctors  had  by  this  time  begun  to  reach  some  conclusions 
as  to  what  they  needed.  Many  of  them  submitted  notes  and  sug¬ 
gestions.  More  than  one  conference  was  held  between  the  doctors 
and  the  architects  or  the  doctors  and  the  Committee.  Thus  every 
effort  was  made  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  every  member  of  our 
Medical  Board.  In  planning  for  this  building  the  same  policy 
was  observed.  Directed  by  the  Building  Committee,  the  Superin¬ 
tendent  invited  the  members  of  the  dispensary  staff  to  a  confer¬ 
ence  concerning  the  needs  of  their  different  departments.  As  a 
result  of  this  conference  one  of  the  dispensary  physicians  made 
a  rough  sketch  of  the  plans  that  had  been  agreed  upon.  We 
submitted  this  sketch  to  the  architects  and  it  was  adopted  with 
scarcely  a  change.  Our  obstetricians  were  consulted  collectively 
and  individually  concerning  their  department  and  the  obstetrician- 
in-chief  made  a  careful  paper  sketch  of  their  needs,  every  item 
of  which  stands,  I  think,  as  suggested. 

The  physicians  in  charge  of  the  children’s  ward  received  pre¬ 
cisely  the  same  consideration.  Meanwhile  the  Superintendent 
and  the  Committee,  one  or  both,  visited  many  important  hospitals 
and  consulted  superintendents  and  others  having  special  knowl¬ 
edge  concerning  the  needs  of  an  Institution  like  this  and  some 
important  and  new  features  have  been  introduced  in  this  way. 

It  is  now  a  year  and  a  half  since  the  Halls  Building  was  opened 
and  most  of  you  are  more  or  less  familiar  with  its  arrangement. 
There  is  one  feature  which  receives  the  approbation  of  all 
familiar  with  hospital  affairs.  Each  floor  is  divided  into  four 
corners  or  groups  of  rooms,  each  group  being  complete  with 
closets,  halls  and  toilets. 

THE  EASTERN  PAVILION 

This  building  is  unique  as  to  its  arrangement. 

For  example,  the  largest  of  the  wards  is  not  one  half  as  large 
as  the  wards  in  the  other  building,  and  on  that  account  is  an 
improvement  upon  them.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  crowd  to- 


17 


gether  a  large  number  of  patients.  On  the  south  end  is  a  sun 
parlor,  or  sun  ward,  where  the  best  treatment  known  in  medicine 
will  be  given — sunshine.  Between  Dr.  Butler  and  myself  we 
began  the  evolution  of  that  ward  and  the  architects  were  able  to 
make  it  a  little  larger  than  we  expected.  There  we  shall  care 
for  patients  who  need  out-door  treatment,  especially  in  the 
winter.  There  are  many  windows.  It  is  practically  an  out-door 
room.  Passing  out  of  this  large  ward  at  the  north  end  you  will 
find  two  small  wards  giving  an  opportunity  for  the  segregation 
of  patients  and  also  for  semi-private  work,  while  out  around 
the  halls  are  various  service  rooms  and  a  surgical  dressing  room. 
The  children’s  ward  below  is  exactly  the  same  as  this. 

A  BROADENED  POLICY 

The  same  broad  spirit  has  characterized  the  administration  of 
the  internal  affairs  of  the  Hospital  throughout — on  the  part  of 
the  Board  of  Managers,  the  Executive  Committee  and  the  Su¬ 
perintendent. 

When  appointed  to  the  office  of  Superintendent  I  soon  reached 
the  conclusion  that  the  Hospital  could  well  afford  to  be  more 
appreciative  and  generous  toward  the  physicians  of  the  city.  I 
found  that  former  attending  physicians  and  surgeons  had  no 
greater  privileges  here  than  if  they  had  never  been  associated 
with  the  Hospital;  ex-internes  had  no  privileges  whatever: 
distinguished  physicians  of  the  city  had  been  doing  work  here 
for  years  without  receiving  official  recognition. 

When  we  presented  these  facts  to  the  Executive  Committee  and 
Board  of  Managers,  they  agreed  that  the  policy  of  the  Hospital 
was  not  large  enough.  Accordingly  gentlemen  who  were  once 
members  of  our  Attending  Staff  and  the  ex-internes  were  accorded 
the  privileges  of  the  private  beds  of  the  Hospital. 

The  Attending  Staff  was  enlarged  so  as  to  add  to  our  working 
force  young  men  who  had  received  their  training  here  and  who 
had  already  received  honors  at  the  hands  of  others. 

A  Throat  and  Nose  Department,  an  Ear  Department,  an  Eye 
Department  and  an  Obstetrical  Department  were  organized.  Al¬ 
ready  some  of  these  departments  have  become  exceedingly  im¬ 
portant  in  the  work  of  the  Hospital.  We  also  appointed  as  special 
consultants  men  who  had  done  excellent  service  for  the  Hospital 
without  any  recognition. 

It  is  this  same  spirit  that  has  made  it  possible  for  physicians 
of  high  standing,  not  connected  with  our  Hospital,  to  care  for 
their  own  patients,  under  proper  restrictions,  in  our  private  beds. 

However,  our  private  beds  are,  as  a  rule,  so  well  filled  by  our 
own  staff,  that  we  may  not  be  able  very  often  to  extend  these 
privileges  to  others,  but  this  action  shows  that  we  desire  to  treat 
generously  and  courteously  the  profession  at  large. 

I  have  said  enough  to  show  the  spirit  of  the  Institution.  That 
there  is  danger  in  too  much  expansion  is  true,  but  there  is  just 
as  much  in  too  much  contraction.  The  danger  of  expansion  is 
reduced  to  the  minimum  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  eyes  of 
all  physicians  are  upon  the  work  of  each  man.  The  man  who 
practices  here  takes  his  professional  life  in  his  hands.  The  man 
who  would  make  a  bad  break  here  would  be  blasted  forever  in 
Brooklyn,  and  every  man  knows  it. 


IS 


THINGS  DONE 


And  now  I  wish  to  emphasize  for  a  moment  the  fact  that  we 
have  not  only  developed  in  material  things  and  in  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  our  various  departments,  but  also  in  things  done.  Roscoe 
Conkling  spoke  of  the  “arduous  greatness  of  things  done.’' 

We  are  now  on  the  threshold  of  our  largest  opportunities. 
Heretofore  we  have  been,  comparatively  speaking,  a  small  Hos¬ 
pital;  tonight  we  have  200  beds,  and  by  a  slight  expenditure  we 
can  have  300  in  the  near  future  should  our  growth  demand  it. 
But  as  a  small  and  growing  Hospital  a  great  work  has  been 
accomplished. 

Here  are  a  few  of  your  dividends,  which  were  not  affected  by 
the  recent  financial  depression. 

In  1901,  the  year  before  Mr.  Halls  made  his  proposition,  the 


Number  of  patients  cared  for  was .  2,019 

In  1907  we  cared  for .  3,267 

In  1901  the  contributing  churches  numbered .  62 

Last  year  the  contributing  churches  numbered .  553 

In  1901  the  churches  gave .  $3,573 

Last  year  the  churches  gave .  9,780 

In  1901  we  received  from  private  patients .  14,657 

Last  year  we  received  from  private  patients .  28,669 

In  1901  our  income  from  investments  was .  11,013 

Last  year  our  income  from  investments  was .  29,537 


The  income  from  investments  for  1908  will,  of  course,  be 
larger,  because  we  now  have  more  money  invested;  it  will  be  at 
least  $32,000. 

The  actual  deficits  for  1900,  1901  and  1902  averaged  over  $16,000 
a  year.  Now  we  pay  our  bills  as  they  become  due. 

FOR  THE  SICK  POOR 

The  work  we  are  proudest  of  is  that  which  is  done  for  the  sick 
poor,  and  it  is  our  ambition  that  the  poorest  patient  here  shall 
receive  the  utmost  consideration.  In  some  hospitals  we  are  told 
that  ward  patients  for  the  most  part  are  cared  for  by  the  house 
staff.  We  believe  in  our  house  staff  and  have  perfect  confidence 
in  them  as  young  physicians,  and  with  good  reason,  for  during 
the  history  of  the  Hospital  they  have  shown  themselves  able  and 
conscientious  men,  and  on  leaving  us  have  won  high  places  in 
their  profession.  But  the  policy  of  this  Institution  is  that  every 
attending  shall  give  personal  care  to  the  patients  in  his  service. 
If  a  serious  mistake  were  made  here  it  would  not  be  the  house 
staff,  nor  an  assistant,  but  the  attending  that  would  be  held  re¬ 
sponsible  by  the  Board  of  Managers. 

This,  however,  does  not  lessen  the  responsibility  of  our  young 
men,  whose  work  must  be  satisfactory  to  both  the  Board  of 
Managers  as  represented  by  the  Executive  Committee  and  the 
Medical  Board. 

We  endeavor  also  to  be  true  to  the  Hospital,  the  patient  and 
the  doctor.  We  have  a  rule  here  similar  to  that  found  in  the  best 
and  most  influential  hospitals  in  New  York,  that  no  medical  or 
surgical  fee  shall  be  collected  from  a  ward  patient,  because  the 
wards  are  not  intended  for  those  who  can  pay  a  physician’s  fee. 
They  are  intended  only  for  the  poor. 

Tnat,  however,  makes  it  necessary  that  we  should  protect  our 


19 


medical  men  from  imposition  and  refuse  to  allow  a  person  to 
occupy  a  ward  bed  who  can  afford  to  remunerate  the  physician  or 
surgeon,  and  we  faithfully  try  to  perform  this  duty. 

That  our  wards  are  doing  the  work  they  are  intended  to  do 
can  easily  be  proved.  At  this  moment  in  the  Hospital  exactly 
two  thirds  of  our  ward  patients  are  free  patients,  and  nearly  one 
half  of  the  patients  in  the  wards  who  pay  at  all  pay  less  than 
the  regular  rate. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  make  a  single  dollar  out  of  the  Hos¬ 
pital.  If  we  should  clear  $1,000  this  year  it  would  go  imme¬ 
diately  into  the  plant  to  develop  it  and  make  it  a  more  worthy 
Institution.  I  promise  you  that  the  rates  will  always  be  kept 
down  to  the  lowest  possible  point  and  will  be  reduced  or  increased 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  market  and  the  cost  of  supplies. 

There  is  no  class  of  workers  in  the  Hospital  that  can  give 
greater  assistance  along  these  lines  than  our  attendings,  as  the 
most  expensive  supplies  are  to  a  large  extent  subject  to  their 
requisitions.  If  you  assist  in  keeping  down  the  expenses  we  will 
keep  down  the  charges. 

THE  NEEDS  OF  THE  FUTURE 

And  now  for  a  moment  turn  to  the  future.  That  we  have 
made  steady  and  satisfactory  advancement  in  the  recent  past 
should  not  blind  us  to  the  fact  that  the  next  few  years  must 
show  marked  progress.  The  Hospital  even  now  has  certain  great 
and  well  nigh  imperative  needs. 

The  opening  of  this  Pavilion  means  an  additional  annual  ex¬ 
pense  of  about  $20,000.  We  have  suggested  that  the  opening  of 
the  north  end  of  this  building  for  private  patients  and  the  com¬ 
pletion  of  the  Operating  Pavilion  a  few  years  ago  increased  the 
annual  deficit.  We  must  not  repeat  that  sort  of  history. 

There  is  no  work  done  by  the  Hospital  that  is  more  blessed 
than  the  care  of  the  mother  and  the  babe,  to  which  this  floor  with 
its  various  wards  and  service  rooms  is  to  be  devoted,  but  the  im¬ 
portance  of  this  work  is  fully  paralleled  by  the  medical,  surgical 
and  orthopedic  work  of  the  children’s  department,  on  the  floor 
below;  and  I  wish  to  remind  you  that  the  dispensary  work  is 
rapidly  becoming  a  most  important  department  in  all  progressive 
hospitals.  Yet  these  different  classes  of  patients  are  the  least 
productive  of  all  in  a  financial  way.  I  wish  to  emphasize  most 
earnestly  that  it  will  go  a  long  way  toward  preventing  a  deficit 
next  December  if  those  who  are  responsible  for  a  part  of  the 
$100,000  now  due  on  the  great  subscription  shall  pay  it  at  the 
earliest  possible  date.  Its  immediate  investment  would  materially 
aid  in  rendering  a  future  deficit  unlikely  if  not  impossible. 

A  second  important  need  was  voiced  by  Dr.  Butler  in  his  paper 
which  became  a  part  of  our  last  Annual  Report.  He  says:  "We 
should  have  hydrotherapeutic  and  electrotherapeutic  outfits, 
which  are  of  little  or  no  use  without  two  permanent  and  salaried 
trained  attendants,  a  man  and  a  woman. !i  He  also  calls  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  fact  that  we  need  a  salaried  pathologist.  I  wish  on 
this  important  occasion  to  give  emphasis  to  these  needs.  It  adds 
to  our  pleasure  in  doing  and  our  desire  to  do  when  in  the  same 
paper  we  read:  "We  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  what  has 
been  done;  on  the  contrary  the  Board  of  Managers  and  the 
Executive  Committee  have,  we  know  very  well,  granted  quite  as 
much  as  the  finances  of  the  Institution  will  allow.” 


20 


Dr.  Butler  expresses  a  great  need  and  acknowledges  a  serious 
difficulty.  There  can  he  no  question  as  to  our  needs  in  these 
particulars. 

I  visited  a  week  or  so  ago  a  small  hospital  in  a  beautiful 
suburban  town,  and  I  found  an  outfit  that  would  make  us  feel 
proud  if  we  had  it. 

To  furnish  such  an  outfit  would  cost  between  three  and  four 
thousand  dollars,  and  it  would  take  an  endowment  of  about  $15,- 
000  to  operate  it  properly. 

No  department  in  our  Hospital  has  done  better  work  than  our 
department  of  pathology  and  bacteriology.  Its  work  lies  at  the 
basis  of  practically  all  treatment  of  disease.  Such  a  department 
should  be  substantially  endowed.  If  we  had  an  endowment  of 
one  hundred  thousand  or  even  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  this 
department  it  would  add  mightily  to  the  efficiency  of  our  work. 
And  such  a  department,  well  endowed,  should  not  be  limited  to 
the  walls  of  this  Institution,  it  should  be  at  the  service  of  prac¬ 
titioners  of  the  city  for  the  service  of  the  poor  to  whom  they 
may  minister. 

I  believe  it  is  imperative  that  these  needs  should  be  supplied 
at  an  early  date,  and  I  call  upon  those  who  listen  to  me  tonight, 
both  laymen  and  physicians,  to  bring  this  matter  to  the  attention 
of  men  and  women  of  wealth.  Tell  them  of  the  great  opportunity 
which  our  Hospital  affords  for  an  investment  of  this  kind. 

I  must  not  omit  another  need — not  as  urgent  today  as  it  was 
some  little  time  ago,  and  yet  sufficiently  so  not  to  be  omitted 

We  shall  need  at  an  early  date  a  “Home  for  our  Nurses.”  One 
after  another  the  great  hospitals  of  the  country  are  providing 
such  homes.  We  are  now  waiting  patiently  for  some  one  to 
appear  who  will  count  it  a  privilege  to  build  and  name  a  home  in 
which  thousands  of  young  women  will  be  trained  for  the  allevia¬ 
tion  of  suffering  humanity.  The  man  or  woman  who  performs 
that  service  for  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital  will  at  the 
same  time  open  between  seventy-five  and  one  hundred  beds  for 
the  treatment  of  additional  patients. 

CONCLUSION 

A  story  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  days  of  Wesley  con¬ 
cerning  his  work  among  the  miners  of  Cornwall.  Whole  villages 
were  transformed  from  a  gambling,  swearing  and  Sabbath-break¬ 
ing  people  to  men  and  women  of  sobriety  and  godliness.  In  every 
home  was  to  be  found  a  picture  of  John  Wesley,  the  man  whom 
they  all  loved.  One  day  a  stranger  visiting  one  of  those  humble 
homes  seeing  John  Wesley’s  picture  on  the  wall  said.  “Whose 
picture  is  that?”  The  old  miner  reverently  lifted  his  hat  and 
said,  “There  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was  John  ” 

Tonight  we  think  with  profound  gratitude  of  the  man  who  sits 
at  the  head  of  this  table,  whose  official  standing,  integrity,  sin¬ 
cerity.,  statesmanship  and  editorial  pen  called  this  Hospital  into 
being,  over  which  he  has  presided  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  No 
man  more  than  Dr.  Buckley  deserves  the  name  “founder.”  We 
think  of  the  founder,  George  I.  Seney,  and  his  splendid  gifts  to 
educational  institutions,  North  and  South,  but  whose  greatest 
benefaction  stands  here. 

We  think  of  our  distinguished  resident  bishop — Bishop  Good- 
sell — who  graces  us  with  his  presence  tonight,  and  the  important 


21 


service  he  rendered  the  Hospital  when  associated  with  Dr.  Buck- 
ley  on  the  staff  of  The  Christian  Advocate. 

We  think  of  the  noble  army  of  great  and  good  men — physicians, 
managers,  ministers  and  laymen — who  by  faith  saw  this  day, 
though  they  were  denied  the  thrill  of  this  hour.  Tonight  we 
remember  with  profound  gratitude  thousands  of  men  and  women 
of  these  later  days  who  have  given  their  dollars,  their  hundreds, 
their  thousands  and  even  their  tens  of  thousands  toward  this 
great  enterprise,  some  to  endow  beds  and  rooms  in  memory  of 
departed  loved  ones,  some  to  assist  in  paying  our  old  debts  and 
others  to  beautify  our  property.  We  remember  that  many  of  our 
churches  and  Nightingale  Societies  have  given  with  the  utmost 
generosity,  that  our  Board  of  Managers  has  given  over  $100,000 
during  this  last  effort.  We  remember  that  through  the  influence 
of  our  pastors  we  have  received  $100,000  for  the  same  purpose. 
We  remember  all  this,  and  yet,  when  we  think  of  our  financial 
condition,  of  the  deterioration  of  the  buildings,  of  the  increasing 
annual  deficits,  of  the  shame  of  failure  which  was  resting  upon 
the  Church  five  years  ago,  we  will  raise  our  hats  with  reverence 
and  say,  “There  were  a  man  and  woman  sent  from  God  whose 
name  was  Halls.” 


22 


superintendent’s  office  and  committee  room 


24 


'his  tablet  was  unveiled  at  the  Hospital  March  31,  1907 


4 


25 


THE  HOUSE  STAFF  1907 


26 


OUR  LARGEST  OPERATING  ROOM 


27 


THE  BARNIER  ROOM 


28 


THE  FISKE-COLLORD 


A  PRIVATE  WARD 

Furnished  by  the  Nightingale  Society  of  Janes  Church  in  memory  of  Eliza  A.  Waldron 


30 


ONE  OF  OUR  GENERAL  WARDS 
Containing  free,  pay,  and  endowed  beds 


31 


AN  UNFINISHED  WARD 
More  than  twenty  years  in  this  condition 


32 


THE  SAME  SPACE  IS  NOW  A  CHILDREN  S  WARD,  CONTAINING  FREE,  PAY,  AND  ENDOWMENT  CRIBS 
Furnished  by  the  ladies  of  Dr.  Farrar’s  Church — The  First  Reformed 


FORM  OF  BEQUEST 

The  following  is  a  brief  legal  form  under  which  bequests  may  be  made  in  behalf 

of  the  Hospital 

I  give,  devise,  and  bequeath  unto  ‘‘The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Hospital  in  the  City  of  Brooklyn,* *  a  corporation  duly  incorporated 
by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  by  an  act  entitled  “An 
Act  to  incorporate  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital  in  the  City  of 
Brooklyn,**  passed  May  27,  1881, 


(Here  insert  the  amount  of  money  bequeathed,  or  a  description  either  of  specific 
personal  or  real  property,  or  bothj  or  if  it  be  the  residue  of  an  estate,  state  that  fact. ) 


ENDOWMENTS 

$100,000  endows  and  names  a  Pavilion  in  perpetuity. 

20,000  endows  and  names  a  Private  Room  in  perpetuity. 

10,000  endows  and  names  a  bed  in  a  private  room,  with 
two  beds,  in  perpetuity. 

5,000  endows  and  names  a  bed  in  a  ward  in  perpetuity. 

3,000  endows  and  names  a  crib  in  award  in  perpetuity. 

Correspondence  invited  concerning  these  endowments 
and  especially  concerning  our 

ANNUITY  PLAN 

By  this  plan  we  provide  an  opportunity  for  the  safest 
possible  investment  of  money,  upon  which  the  donors  re¬ 
ceive  during  their  lifetime  from  \T/2  to  7  per  cent  per  an¬ 
num  according  to  their  age. 

The  Superintendent  invites  correspondence  on  all  sub¬ 
jects  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Hospital,  and  may 
be  addressed  at  the 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  HOSPITAL 
Sixth  Street,  Seventh  to  Eighth  Avenues 
BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


